May 2002

Black Sparrow Press
Poet and commentator Andrei Codrescu mourns the loss of an independent publisher that is on its way out of business: Black Sparrow Press. (3:00)

Electronic Surveillance
Commentator Carol Wasserman remembers being on food stamps and worrying about the government knowing too much. Now she feels authorities know too little. (3:30)

Bench Warmer
Commentator Dick George has to clench his teeth when the coach of his daughter's baseball team doesn't let her play. George knows his opinion of his daughter is biased, but he doesn't understand why coaches don't let kids play even in games when the outcome is a forgone conclusion. (3:00)

India & Pakistan
NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr says that the Cold War practice of brinkmanship has reappeared in the conflict between India and Pakistan, but he suggests that the danger of miscalculation must be taken seriously, as each country seems to be counting on the United States for support as an ally in the dispute. (2:45)

Exxon Shareholders
Commentator Chip Pitts says tomorrow in Dallas, Exxon-Mobil will hold its annual shareholders' meeting. Representatives of Amnesty International will also be present. The non-profit organization has bought shares in Exxon-Mobil so that it can introduce a shareholder resolution -- a human rights policy for the corporation. This is the first time that Amnesty International has tried this tactic with a major U.S. corporation. (3:15)

Liberty vs. Security?
The current furor over FBI Special Agent Coleen Rowley's scathing letter to FBI Director Robert S. Mueller, III has focused on concerns of FBI mismanagement. NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr says little attention has been paid to civil liberties that may be sacrificed in the name of protecting national security. (3:00)

The Tank
Commentator Patrick Wright says even as more modern weapons are created, the tank will remain an important weapon of war for some time, if for no other reason than its psychological effect on the enemy. (3:00) "Tank" by Patrick Wright is published by Viking.

Bad Haircut
Commentator Michael Ivey just can't seem to get a good haircut. His hair is so bad, his wife has begun to mock him. So, he decided to take it off himself by buying a home grooming kit. (2:45)

Romancing Russia
Commentator Paul Greenberg says that it's easy to be disarmed by Russia, but that the United States has to stop treating Russia like a cheap date if it wants to ensure good relations. (3:15)

Old Computers
Commentator Gary Beach had a hard time getting rid of his old computer. The nearby school prefers new computers, and the landfill operators don't want it either. They think it's polluting. (3:30)

Bush-Putin Summit
Looking back at the history of Cold War summits, NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr notes that the impending Bush-Putin meeting may herald the end of an era of arms-control summits. (3:00)

Credit Cards
Commentator Andrei Codrescu says he has to throw away all those low-interest credit card offers he gets in the mail ... or else he'll get into debt. (3:15)

Alley Trash
Commentator Katie Davis confronts the problem of an unscrupulous neighbor's trash in the alley behind her Washington, D.C. home. (3:30)

White House Secrecy
NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr understands the Bush administration's efforts to keep certain information secret. But Schorr argues that these efforts would have more credibility were it not for the administration's general obsession with secrecy and the selective leaks of classified information coming from the FBI and CIA. (3:00)

Chain Store Music Compilations
Commentator Andrew Raskin relates his adventures with compilation CDs offered by otherwise unmusical stores, from Pottery Barn to Jiffy Lube. (2:30)

U.S./Russia Arms Pact
NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr says that the soon-to-be-signed nuclear weapons treaty between the U.S. and Russia holds much more importance as a symbol of improving diplomatic relations than it offers in the way of enforceable limitations on weapons stockpiles. (2:45)

Movie Trailers
Commentator Lenore Skenazy skewers the "coming attractions" that precede a film at the theater. She says they give away the entire plot. (3:00)

Las Vegas Spring
Commentator Dayvid Figler lives in Las Vegas where spring passes quickly. He welcomes the pear blossoms for their beauty, the promise of fruit and the coolness that comes with the fruit at summer's end. (2:30)

Resegregation
Commentator Desiree Cooper told her children that she went to a segregated public school, thinking that she would shock them. But then she realized that they go to a segregated school, too. It's a private school dedicated to the education of African-American children. (3:30)

The Joy of Anchovies
Julia Watson, a food columnist for iVillage.com, comments for All Things Considered on her love of anchovies -- "the culinary equivalent of the Wonderbra" -- and offers a recipe for her favorite anchovy dish. She says it can be enjoyed whether you like anchovies or not. Expanded Coverage

Whither NATO
Having been present at the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr notes that its planned expansion will do nothing to make the military alliance more relevant. Bringing Russia into the fold only highlights the fact that NATO's original mission has long since faded away along with its utility, Schorr says. (3:00)

Time
Commentator Donald McCaig marvels at how the passage of time is perceived differently. (2:45)

Writer's Conceits
Poet and commentator Andrei Codrescu reflects on the intangible measures of writers' success. (3:30)

Consciousness
Commentator Meredith Small says the gift of self-awareness is evidently rare in the animal kingdom and, she says, under appreciated in our species. (2:45)

Crusader Artillery System
Although the Pentagon has finally announced the death of the Crusader artillery system, NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr says that the underlying controversy points to a serious failing in the ideal of "unified" civilian control of the military. (3:00)

Letting Go of Ground Zero
Since last September, commentator Stacy Horn has been feeding and helping the rescue and demolition workers at Ground Zero in New York. She likes the work, and hates to see it end. (2:15)

Urban Pioneer
A few years ago, commentator Hollis Gillespie bought a house in the transitional Atlanta neighborhood of Capitol View. She thought it would be a great investment. Though she made a profit when she sold the house, she says it was not easy money. (3:00)

What Is Funny?
Shock jocks in New York, Seattle, Orlando and Atlanta are making gay jokes lately. Some people are offended, some think they are funny. Commentator Michael Alvear says it shouldn't be up to gays to draw the line between acceptable and unacceptable humor. (3:00)

Treaty Law
Commentator Chip Pitts says that pulling out of the International Criminal Court treaty is bad for U.S. foreign relations. He says pulling out gives other nations more encouragement to pull out of treaties that the United States needs. And, Pitts observes, it reveals the Bush administration's negative attitude toward treaties and international law in general. (3:30)

France: Le Pen Defeated
Reviewing the outcome of France's presidential election, NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr says what was averted will prove to be more important than what was achieved. (2:45)

Poetry Boot Camp
Humorist Brian McConnachie and company improve upon a story we read about a Michigan poet who held a "boot camp" for poetry in schools last week. In McConnachie's mind, the camp is a marine-tough experience, except that the recruits have to recite poems and think about metaphor as much as marching. (2:15)

Families and Welfare Reform
NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr says the Bush administration has touted the importance of placing the family first, but that the Republican proposal for welfare reform could force many to work for wages that would leave them below the poverty line. (3:00)

Le Pen
Commentator Nancy Coons gives the view of Le Pen's first-round success from her little town in northern France. (3:30)

Return to the Commentaries main page.